Optimized support of a massive number of Cellular Internet of Things (CIoT) or Machine-Type Communication (MTC) devices that have very low device complexity, are latency-tolerant, and require low throughput and very low power consumption, is seen as a key ingredient for next-generation cellular wireless networks. Such designs of CIoT systems can be based on an evolution of 3GPP LTE-Advanced features, such as Release 13 support of low-complexity MTC devices (termed as Category M devices) that need to support a bandwidth of 1.4 MHz on the DL and UL at both RF and baseband irrespective of the system BW. Support for CIoT devices may be provided by a narrowband (NB)-LTE system, in which CIoT devices may perform DL and UL communicates via small bandwidths, such as 180 kHz or 200 kHz bandwidths. In a given NB-LTE system, such bandwidths may be comprised in GSM bands, in LTE guard bands, or within larger LTE system bandwidths (for example, occupying 1 LTE physical resource block (PRB)). Following the LTE design, such NB-LTE systems can use an OFDMA-based multiple access mechanism in the DL and an SC-FDMA (or DFT-S-OFDMA)-based design in the UL. Alternatively, such NB systems for CIoT devices can be designed as a new Radio Access Technology (RAT), e.g., following a clean-slate approach to support CIoT devices, on 200 kHz-wide GSM bands or in the LTE guard bands.